Archbishop Hoban students and staff had never experienced a celebration quite like the one that took place inside Barry Gymnasium on Monday.
“We have never witnessed what we are about to witness today, and that is a celebration of a state championship football team,” T.K. Griffith said at the start of the assembly.
Griffith, an English teacher at Hoban and the Knights’ boys basketball coach and football public address announcer, emceed an hourlong ceremony to celebrate Thursday’s 33-20 victory over Toledo Central Catholic in the Division III state final at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Griffith, Akron Mayor Jeff Fusco, Hoban Principal Mary Anne Beiting and Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell spoke at the assembly to a crowd that included Hoban President Todd Sweda, athletic director Joe Beyer, former football coach Ralph Orsini and former wrestling coach Ralph Paonessa.
“I’m very happy to be part of the history that this team has brought us,” said Beiting, a mother to four Hoban graduates, three of whom played on Knights football teams.
Tyrrell thanked the administration, maintenance crew, students, teachers and alumni.
“You all deserve that state championship trophy,” Tyrrell said before handing out first-place gold medals to each player for Hoban, which was founded in 1953 and started fielding a football team in 1955.
“We went through some tough times and lost a lot of close games [the past two years]. If it wasn’t for the seniors, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Hoban (14-1) started 11 seniors during the 2015 season — Jonah Morris, Dane Kersh, Jacob Kepler, Jacob McNeil, Thomas Redle, Nicholas Lewis, Tyler Gilchrist, Anthony Christian, Tyler Canova, Matt Dujanovic and Jack Griffith.
“We were undefeated [on the freshman team], and we wanted to build upon that success,” Lewis said. “This was our senior year and our team to lead. … To go out with a win in my last game ever playing football is amazing.”
McNeil said “holding that trophy at the end in Columbus was a great feeling.”
McNeil, Kepler and Redle started on the offensive line with sophomore RJ Kelly and freshman Nolan Rumler. Junior Danny Clark started at quarterback with Morris, Gilchrist, Christian, junior Blake Bishop and sophomore Nate Bauer at wide receiver spots.
“During two-a-days everything kind of kicked in,” Kepler said. “We left it all on the field for our last game.”
Junior Todd Sibley and Dujanovic formed Hoban’s backfield.
“It is so huge to send off the seniors with a win,” Sibley said. “They work so hard in the off-season, and they have been here for four years.”
Hoban’s defense was feisty all year, led by Kersh at linebacker and Morris, Gilchrist and Christian roaming around as defensive backs and linebackers.
“When we lost our first game [in Week 10 to Cleveland Benedictine], there were lots of ups and downs,” Morris said. “For our fans to have faith in us again was really big.”
Bauer and Canova started as defensive backs, juniors Arison Sanders and Marc Westover started at linebacker and Kepler, Lewis and sophomore Daeshon Coppinger started along the line for Hoban, which beat rival St. Vincent-St. Mary twice and Walsh Jesuit once.
“This is an amazing feeling for this team,” Sanders said. “The support has been great.”
Hoban also possessed talented special teams with Dane Kersh at punter; his brother, Grant, a junior, at kicker; sophomore Ryan Huber at long snapper; junior Atticus Hughes at holder; and Bauer, Gilchrist and Morris on returns.
“It feels great to go out on this note,” Dane Kersh said.
Added Grant Kersh: “It hasn’t really hit me yet that we won the state championship. I think we can do this again next year because we will return a lot of good players.”
Coppinger is one of the returning players, and he received a loud ovation Monday during a five-minute video with highlights that included an image of him tearing up after the win.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.